After some feedback from Echo crosssword solvers that our puzzles are a bit on the difficult side, we have prepared some solver’s guides to demystify some of the logic behind Stephen Clarke’s clues.
This guide is to crossword #23, published in The Byron Shire Echo Issue 39.17, 2 October 2024. Crossword #23 can be viewed as a PDF here. The solution grid can be viewed here.
Across
1. Pinot adulterated by Echo department head? That’d be telling! (7)
POINTED. Anagram (adulterated”) of PINOT + E (Echo, E in NATO alphabet) + D = first letter (head) of department)
5. Palmer channels boxing judge in trial of 22 (7)
MERCHAN. Contained in (boxing) PalMER CHANnels
9. See 13a (5)
10. Mate gets promotion by company on air (9)
BROADCAST. BRO = mate + AD = promotion + CAST = company, as of actors
11. Trade fish on the way in (9)
CARPENTRY. CARP = fish + ENTRY = way in
12. Key witness has firm pecker (5)
COHEN. CO = company, a synonym for “firm” + HEN = pecker, i.e., hen cryptically defined
13 , 9. Spooner’s slop, perhaps a sweetener that’s used to keep people quiet (4)
HUSH MONEY. Spoonerism of mush = slop + honey = sweetener
15. Phoney, shaking and about to jump out of tree, is a novice (8)
NEOPHYTE. Anagram PHONEY + T(re)E where re = about and is subtracted (jump out of) from tree
18. Ten years it takes the territory to degenerate (8)
DECADENT. DECADE = ten years + NT = territory (i.e., the Northern Territory). (Note: while the grammar of the clue suggests that “degenerate” is a verb, that deception is the setter’s aim. As adjectives, degenerate and decadent are fair synonyms for each other.)
19. Sunday lunch perhaps not right for this oven (4)
OAST. ROAST = perhaps a Sunday lunch minus R = right.
22. Tango behind infamous felon (5)
TRUMP. T = Tango in NATO phonetic alphabet + RUMP = behind
24. Short programme switches to later time – that’s sweet! (5,4)
APPLE TART. APP = abbreviation (short) of application = programme + anagram (switches to) of LATER +T = time
26. Time to stand up and spin things out (9)
TEMPORISE. Tempo = TIME + rise = STAND UP
27. Snow bunny possibly more scary when dumping waste (5)
SKIER. S(POO)KIER = more scary minus (dumping) poo = waste
28. See 21d (7,6)
29. Sidney’s novel about time and fate (7)
DESTINY. T = time in an anagram (novel) of SIDNEY
Down
1. Cleaning stone produces a shade of red containing traces of madder and indigo (6)
PUMICE. MI (“traces of” madder and indigo – this is an infrequent but recognised indication of initial letters) in PUCE, a shade of red.
2. Turbine rebuilt around new bearing in part that goes on wheel (5,4)
INNER TUBE. N = NEW + e = BEARING in an anagram of TURBINE
3. Article about unknown Frenchman making seasoning (5)
THYME. Y = unknown in algebraic notation +M = abbrev. of monsieur in THE (definite article)
4. Be attuned to change needed for newcomer (9)
DEBUTANTE. Anagram (to change) of BE ATTUNED
5. Ill-humoured, low key Yankee (5)
MOODY. MOO = a synonym for low + D, a musical key +Y = Yankee in NATO phonetic alphabet
6. Bitter-tasting leaf of wild orchid – acid almost (9)
RADDICHIO. Anagram (wild) of ORCHID ACI (acid almost)
7. English PM once ate messily in hotels (5)
HEATH. Anagram (messily) of ATE in HH = hotels in NATO phonetic alphabet (Ted Heath was once an English PM)
8. Recording of Fanny Adams dumping husband (6)
NOTING. FANNY ADAMS = Nothing minus H = HUSBAND
14. Enthusiast almost put on wearable technology (9)
HEADPHONE. Head = ENTHUSIAST as in tech-head, crackhead etc + PHONE(Y)) = (almost) put on
16. Pasteur, foolishly sucked into overdose, is all over the place! (9)
OUTSPREAD. Anagram (foolishly) of PASTEUR in OD = overdose
17. Italian conductor presenting famous opera at two joints, we hear (9)
TOSCANINI. TOSCA = famous opera + NINI = homonym (we hear) of knees (two joints)
20. Said to be full – about time! (6)
STATED. T = TIME in sated = FULL
21, 28ac. Mad storylines spun by star witness (7,6)
STORMY DANIELS. Anagram of MAD STORYLINES
23. Emasculate councilman, in bad shape (but not with colic) (5)
UNMAN. Anagram (in bad shape) of COUNCILMAN minus COLIC
24. Goodbye to broadcasters – Romeo’s going! (5)
ADIOS. (R)ADIOS = BROADCASTERS MINUS R = ROMEO in NATO phonetic alphabet
25. Moderates appearing in Echo article on emergency workers (5)
EASES. E = Echo in NATO phonetic alphabet + a = indefinite article +SES = emergency workers (Again, the definition Moderates appears to be a noun in the wordplay but is a synonym for a verb in the answer)
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
